Die block



R. MlLLER Feb. 5, 1924..

DIE BLOCK Filed Feb. 10,

" INVENTOR BY r i a 1 M fi Patented Feb. 5, 1924.

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FATE

RICHARD MILLER, 6F APPLETON, WISCONSIN.

DIE BLOCK.

Application filed February 10, 1922. Serial). 535,637.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD MILLER, a

citizen. of the United States, residing at Appleton, county of Outagamie, and State of Visoonsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Die Blocks, of which the following is a specification. r

This invention relates to die blocks. It is particularly directed to a. die block such as that used ina leather cutting process, or such as thatused by butchers. Objects of this invention are to 'provid a die block in which the various clamping means are fully protected so as, to guard against injuring the workman or tearing his clothes;to provide a die block in which lighter material may be employed while still securing rigid and adequate binding action;

and to provide a die block which will not.

buckle when it is moistened or otherwise disturbed.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of the die block. Fig. 2 is an end View thereof. Fig. 3 isa front view thereof.

Fig. i is a" sectional view on the line 4-4 Of Fig. 1.

The die block comprises .a plurality of wooden blocks 1,. which have. their grain running vertically, asindicated roughly in Fig. 2, and which are of rectangular cross section. These blocks are arranged vertically as may be seen from Figs. 2 and 3, and are so positioned that their longest transversev dimension extends in the direction of the longest dimension of the die block, as may be seen from Fig.1. By this means fewer joints are presented in a given length of die block, than would otherwise be the case; and it is to be noted that the buckling of a die block, such as a shoving up of the center is occasioned by the absorp tion of water by the members, and the consequent give or change in angularity in the faces of contact of successive members, due to differing degrees of hardness in different portions of the member. Obviously, therefore, decreasing the number of joints in a given length of die block will materially aid in preventing this buckling and as the greatest expansion in each individual member occurs in the longest dimension trans verse to the direction in which the grain runs, it is desirable to so position the individual members that their longer surface dimensions extend longitudinally of the die block.

The means for holding the individual blocks or members of the die block in position, comprise apai'r of end members 2 and 3, which are provided with re-enforcing ribs 4 and5, and with eyeleted ends 6. The front and rear members 7 and 8 of the clamping means comprise members having a channelshaped body formed of outwardly projecting flanges 9 and 10, and a connecting web 11. This member terminates in reduced threaded stems 12, formed by folding the side flanges of the channel bars inwardly and forging or welding them into the form of rod-like projections to be subsequently threaded. These stems 12 extend through the eyeleted ends 6, and are engaged by nuts 13. When the nuts 13 are tightened, the individual blocks are firmly bound together and clamped in rigid formation as required, in order to prevent buckling or distortion of the members 7 and 8.

A plurality of tie rods are passed through appropriate openings in such members and in the block. Suitable openings for the tie rods can bereadily punched through the central web of a channel iron bar, and it is not necessary that these openings should be of the same size as the tie rods. In fact they are probably somewhat larger than the tie rod as shown in Fig. 4 to facilitate adjusting the channel bars to the ends of the tie rods and to also allow slight relative movement whenclamping the end members 2 and 3 in position and also when the die block is expanding during periods of moisture absorption. These tie rods have nuts 15 and 16 threaded upon their ends, and there by tie the members 7 and 8 together at a plurality of points. It is to be observed upon reference to Fig. 4; that the nuts 15 and 16 are completely housed within the channel members 7 and 8 respectively, and such nuts are, therefore, not of the nature of projecting members, but are adequately housed within the channel members 7 and 8.

Great importance is attached to the channel shape of the longitudinally extending clamping tie-beams 7 and 8 arranged with their central webs in contact with the side margins of the die block. The outwardly projecting marginal flanges of these channel bars form spaced re-enforcing. webs which are extremely effective in resisting lateral pressures due to expansion. The central webs of the channel bars not only form broad flat faces for pressure contact with the Wooden members, but being relatively thin these webs can be readily apertured and the ends of the tie rods, together with the clamping nuts may be received and housed between the upper and lower flanges in such a manner as to protect workmen from injurywhen transporting the blocks. The blocks are heavy and if the tie rods with their clamping nuts are allowed to project they are apt to cause serious injury if a workman stumbles or loses his hold in the block when carrying it. The flanges also afford a convenient means for grasping and lifting the block from a bed or table.

It will be seen that a die block has been provided which is of extremely rigid formation; which is not likely to buckle; which is of relatively light weight, and in which there are no projecting parts liable to injure the workman at the side of the block'where such workman customary stands.

I claim: i

1. A die block comprising a body formed of a plurality of individual blocks, end members extending across the ends of the body from one side to the other, co-operiting front and rear channel shaped members, clamping means connecting the end portions of the channel shaped members with the end members and adapted to draw the end members into pressure relation to the winds of the body, and tie rods extending through the body and connecting the channel members with each other at intervals, said tie rods having clamping nuts housed within the channels of the channel members.

2. A die block comprising a body portion formed of individual blocks, end members spanning said body portion and provided with eyeleted ends, a front and a rear member having reduced threaded extensions passing through said eyeleted ends, nuts threaded upon such reduced portion and adapted. to draw the end members into clamping engagement with the body portion, said front and rear members having a widened intermediate portion of channel shape, a plurality of tie rods passing through said front and rear members and through said body portion, nuts threaded upon the ends of said tie rods and housed within the channel of said front and rear members.

3. A die block comprising a plurality of individual rectangular wooden members arranged in rows with the grain of the wood running vertically, each member having its greatest surface dimension extending longitudinally of the row, and the vmembers of each row being in break joint relation to those of the abutting x rows, channel bars extending longitudinally of the rows with their central webs in contact witlrthe re spective side margins of the block'and having their ends forged into threaded rodlike extensions projecting beyond the end margins of the block, clamping bars extending across the respective ends of the block and apertured to receive said threaded extensions, clamping nuts for said threaded 1 extensions, a tie rod extending transversely through the block intermediate of its ends with threaded end portions extending through the channel barwebs and housed be tween the upper and lower flanges of the channel bars, and clamping nuts on the threaded extensions of the tie rods.

- RICHARDMILLER. 

